


Paperwork

by AnnaDavis



Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: Gen, M/M, hinted ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:34:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22104163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaDavis/pseuds/AnnaDavis
Summary: Shion needs to get work done, but the Gold Saints and his own procrastination seem to keep getting in the way.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 23





	Paperwork

**Author's Note:**

> This is absolutely unrelated to any of my other works! Which will make a lot more sense once I actually post more in here.
> 
> The Goldies are all children/teens in this.
> 
> Thanks to Malgraw for beta-ing!
> 
> Please enjoy!

The Grand Pope of the Sanctuary sat at his desk at night, done with his active duties for the day, but still having a pile of papers to sign until he could consider himself free to rest. Sometimes that was the most tiring part since he had to read them all in case he didn't agree with something that was said. Many nights he woke up with his face full of paper, having fallen asleep on his desk without realizing it. Huh, maybe he was really getting old after all.

Speaking of old, it had been a while since he had last written to the oldest person he knew (in spirit, he noted). Dohko. Remembering that gave him a great excuse to procrastinate and catch up with his friend at the same time. Ignoring the work pile, he grabbed a blank sheet, running a hand through his hair to get it out of his face before he started writing.

_ "Dear Dohko,  _

_ How is it going? I miss going out to Rozan and having a drink with you, but even my teleportation has been taking a huge toll on my body. It pains me to admit it but I'm no longer the youthful man full of energy that I once was. When I die, I want you to go to my funeral and drink for my sake. Tell everyone how beautiful I was when I was younger." _

Shion laughed at his own words, shaking his head as he continued to write--or at least tried to, because soon enough there was a knock at his door, signaling the first interruption of many to come that night.

"Come in." He called out, looking at Saga who stepped in, though there was definitely something different about him. "Saga, how may I help you?"

"Master Shion, I'm sorry for coming in like this, but I'm so worried that I can't even sleep..." It seemed that Saga was exaggerating his reactions a little, Shion noted with a quirk of his eyebrow but didn't comment on it.

"Tell me what's on your mind."

"Well, it's Aiolos...I know everyone keeps saying we're supposed to be rivals and all, but I'm in love with him. I can't focus on my training because of him, I just want to kiss him, and hold him, and love him."

Shion was trying really hard not to laugh by then.

"Kanon, if that's really how you feel then you should probably act on it before your brother gets to him first." He said with clear amusement in his voice.

"WHAT?! How did you know it was me?! I was trying to prank Saga! As though I'd actually feel like that for Aiolos of all people...!" Though despite the statement, he seemed strangely embarrassed.

"Do you think I was born yesterday? I knew it was you from the moment you knocked, I just wanted to see how you'd react to being called Saga. I can recognize your cosmo from kilometers away. You might be twins but you're certainly different in that aspect. What I said still stands, though. Go talk to him."

"Nevermind that." Kanon crossed his arms, stomping his way out and leaving Shion alone once again. 

_ "Enough about my death. How are your pupils doing? Were any of them able to get the Dragon Cloth? Are they resisting the training? I know how hard it can be. You'll have to find a successor for Libra too, so keep on working hard. _

_ Now let me tell you about the boys. The little devils. My children. I've suddenly aged an extra fifty years just for saying that.  _

_ The twins are incredibly strong, and it's a shame that I have to keep Kanon hidden. He has so much potential. Sometimes I wish I could just release him and let him wreak havoc in the Sanctuary, but I worry about what kind of havoc that would be." _

Another knock on the door, followed by a screech as Aphrodite ran in, hiding under Shion's desk, being chased by Deathmask who seemed to be holding something. A slug, upon closer look, which Shion had no IDEA of where he could have found that.

"I told you I'd come here! Pope Shion, help me! He's trying to get me to touch that disgusting thing!!!" Aphrodite cried out from his hiding place while the other boy dangled the poor slug.

"He--Oh wait, you're calling yourself 'Deathmask' now, right?" Children and their edgy nickname phases. "Stop that immediately. Leave him alone."

"Oh, c'mon Shion. Aphrodite is just a coward. How can he call himself a saint when he's afraid of such a lil thing?"

"I'm not a coward!!!!! You're disgusting! Get out of here! Pope Shion, help!"

Shion sighed, wondering where he went wrong as he stood up to his full height, motioning with his hand as though he was about to launch an attack towards Deathmask.

"Deathmask. Go back to your temple and leave Aphrodite alone. I'll count to three."

"But Shion, you know I'm right and--!"

"One."

"Wait, you aren't really gonna do it right? I'm a saint, you can't kill me--!"

"Two." 

"Look it's not even that gross at all, look he has a little face--!"

"Three."

"You're clearly joking. As if you'd do it!"

"Stardust--!"

Deathmask was gone so fast, slug and all, that they barely saw him leave. Aphrodite sighed in relief when he was sure the other wouldn't come back, finally crawling out of the desk, legs a little shaky.

"Whew. Thank you, Pope Shion. Such disrespect! ....Were you really going to kill him though?"

"No. Of course not. Just don't tell him that." Shion winked, sitting down again. "Now go to sleep. It's getting late and I have to work." He says, even though he had done no work at all.

"Aww, that's too bad. I'm sorry. Goodnight Pope Shion."

And with that, he was gone. Now, onto that letter.

_ "Aphrodite and He ~~hkwhkr~~ I mean Deathmask, that's what he likes to be called nowadays. He yells at me whenever I slip up, can you believe this? It would be kind of cute if I didn't know who he was. I'm seriously concerned about his future, he seems way too cruel for a saint. Aphrodite spends too much time around him too, and I feel like he's already being negatively influenced. And Aphrodite has been becoming so beautiful too as he grows up. I hope that won't cause any problems in the future. I wish they could all be like Camus." _

As if on cue, there was a shy knock this time as the boy in question dragged himself in, with a 'bonus' Milo walking right behind him.

"Pope Shio--" Camus started, having his mouth immediately covered by Milo. 

"Sssh, Camus. Come on, you don't have to tell him about that! If it's that bad I won't do it again!" But Camus simply placed his hand over Milo's, nearly freezing it before the other pulled it back.

"Pope Shion. He kissed me. I don't think that's right." 

Those children seemed precocious in more ways than one, Shion thought to himself.

"Usually kissing someone isn't wrong if both people want it, Camus. But you two are still too young. Do you like him?"

There was a long pause before the boy looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet. "I... don't know."

"And you, Milo? Do you like him or were you just messing with him?"

"Th-That's....I-I mean. That's personal! He wasn't even supposed to come here to tattle on me!"

Shion laughed at them. They still had a lot to learn.

"Camus did the right thing coming here, but he still has to figure himself out. Until he does, don't do it anymore, yes? Plus, two children shouldn't go around kissing like that! Wait until you're older. Now, hug it out and go to your temples."

Milo opened his arms expectantly, only to be completely ignored by Camus. When he was about to give up, pouting, Camus finally gathered enough courage to tentatively wrap his own arms around him, squeezing him too tightly before letting go, finally offering his hand for them to leave together.

"Goodnight Pope Shion."

"Take care, you two! Phew...."

_ "Camus, that boy is so well-behaved. I rarely have trouble with him. His only problem is that he's too closed off. I wish he could express himself more, but Milo has been helping him when it comes to that. I think they'll grow up to be really close in the future, but those kinds of relationships are good for strengthening one another, right?  _

_ Remember when I rejected you three times? I'm sure we became much stronger after that, hohoho. I'm just messing with you. You know I really couldn't afford it back then, but maybe it was for the best. _

_ Anyway, enough about us. It's been hard writing this letter. They keep coming in here." _

Shion was no longer surprised when two more children came in. However, he was surprised at who they were, since they were rarely seen together. What was the matter this time?

"It's mine!"

"No, it's mine!"

"Shion, tell him!"

"Don't call him that! It's Pope Shion for you!"

"Oh, you little...!"

Shion got up and immediately stood between them: Shura and Aldebaran of all people before they decided to get physical. 

"What's the matter here? Why are you two fighting? I taught you better than that, Gold Saints shouldn't be fighting each other!"

"Pope Shion....." Shura pouted; a clear manipulative strategy that Shion wouldn't fall for in a million years. "....He's telling me that his Cloth has the biggest horns."

"Well, of course!" Aldebaran declared proudly. "My special technique is called the 'Great Horn' for a reason! You can have your sword, let me have the horns."

"But, but, I'm a Capricorn. What do you think the 'cornus' in 'Capricornus' stands for, huh?! I have the biggest horns and sharpest sword, end of story!"

"Nuh-uh. Have not."

"Have too!"

"You two!" Shion interfered once again, finding it unbelievable that they were actually having an argument about that, out of all the things in this entire universe. "Be quiet! Shura, you're almost ten, you shouldn't be arguing with someone younger than you. And Aldebaran, you shouldn't be provoking him either. I will tell you two once and for all, which cloth has the biggest horns."

There was a moment of suspense as both saints held their breath before Shion finally spoke again. 

"It's the Aries cloth. Case closed. And if I find out that any of you went to bother my precious Mu about it, you'll be properly punished." He said threateningly, causing both of them to shiver. "Now, out, out of here! Go to bed!"

"Eek, alright, alright. We're going. Goodnight Shi--I mean Pope Shion!"

The Pope sat back down, suddenly feeling exhausted. Oh, to be young and lively again, how much he missed that. Would he be finally able to finish that letter?

_ "They came here again. These children are a handful. I've been getting steadily more tired, which worries me. Maybe my end is closer than I thought. Oh, look at me talking about my death again. Typical old person stuff. Talking about the boys will be more productive for now. _

_ Aldebaran and Shura came in here having some silly argument. I see potential in both of them, you know? Loyalty, that's the keyword here. They can become very strong if they keep training. They just have to control their tempers better, but that could apply to most of them.  _

_ You didn't have a good temper back then either! You always wanted to jump into fights without thinking first! You were crazy! I think you've given me heart problems just from how much you used to make me worry." _

Before the person could knock this time, Shion already called out to them. It was...Saga this time? Such a feeling of deja vú.

"Saga, what do you need from me?"

"Master Shion, I know it's not usual for me to come in like this unless I have something important to tell you, but I can't stop thinking about this."

Shion bit his lip apprehensively, waiting for him to go on.

"I think I like Aiolos as more than a friend." The teenager seemed terribly embarrassed for saying such a thing so directly, but Shion didn't look too amused. "I've tried to deny it, but he just keeps invading my thoughts and--"

"Kanon! That's enough. I'm not falling for that prank twice. If you like him just go tell him already!" 

"But Master, I'm being completely serious and--wait. What did you call me?!"

Shion seemed surprised by the question, taking a moment to focus on Saga's cosmo and it....really was Saga this time. Shit. He messed up big time now.

"Ohh, uhh, I, think I am mistaken? Ahahaha, I'm such an old man! Getting names wrong like that! Would you look at that?! How foolish of me!"

But the damage was already done because Saga was clenching his fist and narrowing his eyes angrily.

"Master! What did he tell you?! He came here before me? That little rascal, I'm gonna teach him a lesson! Just wait, I'll show him!"

"No, no, no, Saga don't do that! He's already troublesome enough as it is! I think he came here trying to prank you, but his plan kind of backfired. As for the whole Aiolos thing...I do advise you to talk it out. With Kanon, that is, not with Aiolos. After you two sort it out, then you can decide on what to do."

"What?! That Kanon...! Are you telling me he likes Aiolos as well?!"

"Well...you'll just have to find that out by yourself, yes?" Shion grinned.

"Ugh. I guess I have no choice. Thanks for listening, Master. Goodnight."

"You're quite welcome."

_ "By the way, I still don't know who I should choose to replace me between Saga and Aiolos. I'm leaning towards Aiolos because he just has this righteousness about him that is what we need right now. But Saga is also very strong. I don't know. Maybe I should draw lots to decide. Pretty wise, huh." _

The next person didn't bother knocking, simply stepping in and placing what looked like a very delicate flower on Shion's desk. 

"Shaka? What's that?"

"No use telling you it's a flower because you can see that. It comes from my garden. The garden where I'll die. You will die soon as well, won't you?" He was completely serious.

"Sh-Shaka, don't say it like that. Death is a really uncertain thing and..!"

"I know you know it as well. Take the flower with you from now on. In your last moments, it'll be good to help you remember the good memories you had."

The words made Shion quite anxious as he examined the beautiful flower.

"Thank you....I'll take care of it. Try not to think about that too much, though. Just...enjoy your last moments with me, I guess." It pained him to say it, and he could tell Shaka felt the same despite his neutral expression.

In an unexpected gesture, the boy walked closer, giving Shion a brief hug before pulling back.

"I'll miss you. Thank you for everything."

"I'll miss you too, Shaka. I'll miss all of you." He was trying really hard to contain his tears. When had he gotten so sentimental? "Come see me whenever you wish. But for now, you need to sleep."

"I'll probably meditate instead, but don't worry, I'll be at my temple. Goodbye, Pope Shion."

"Goodbye, Shaka. I'll see you later."

Once the Virgo Saint left, Shion took a moment to wipe his tears before going back to his letter.

_ "Shaka just came here and left me to cry on my own. How come a child can say such things? How come we're sending off children to fight, Dohko? To risk their lives, to have such a huge responsibility? Isn't this too harsh? Is this really necessary? I know it is because I've been there before. I know what war is like, and you do too, but still...I wish this could all be over for good one day. That these children could be living normal lives. I'm sorry, I'll try to cheer up. I feel like they'll all come here today, and I wouldn't want them to catch this old man crying." _

It took a while for the next two to show up, and this time it was the set of brothers. Aiolos holding onto Aiolia's hand, who was clutching a stuffed lion with his free one.

"Excuse us, Master. We just heard some commotion, everyone has been coming and going. Is something going on?"

"Hello Aiolos, Aiolia. Nothing much, people just seem to be lively today. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Not really I mean...I was mostly just curious. And my brother can't sleep so I figured we'd take a little walk until he gets tired."

"Aiolia, you can't sleep? What's getting you so restless?"

"I don't know, Pope Shion...I just want a bedtime story."

"I can manage that, then. There was once a very old ram, who lived in the mountains. He was the king of the mountain, so he ruled over all the other creatures, but he loved them all very much. There were a lot of them like a bull, a lamb, a horse, a lion, and even an old tiger. The lion was a cub but he was still very strong!" Shion said, causing Aiolia to grin widely.

"The old ram was very tired, so he wanted to retire, but he needed someone to be king in his place. The two strongest candidates were the horse and the human who had a twin. They were both very good and he loved them both, but it was so hard to choose. Legend says that he's still trying to decide to this day. But legend also says that both the human and his twin brother love the horse very much, so maybe the three of them can enter a consensus." The last part was clearly aimed at Aiolos, who flushed from head to toe at the realization.

"Wh-What...really....? I-I mean, this is such a hard decision for the horse. But maybe...he should talk to both of them, huh...Aiolia, did you like the story?"

Aiolia yawned, which was a very good sign because it meant he was sleepy enough now. 

"I loved it, brother. Thank you, Pope Shion. I hope the ram can decide soon. And that the horse and twins can be happy!"

"Now come on, Aiolia. Let's go to bed. Goodnight, Master."

"Sweet dreams, you two."

This had been incredibly heartwarming.

_ "Aiolia is very attached to his brother. As he grows up, they'll have to start being separated because I don't want that to affect them on the battlefield. I'm not trying to ruin anyone's family, I'm doing the exact opposite! I don't want them to depend too much on the other. It would be very painful if one was lost, but that won't happen. They're both very strong." _

Shion was getting pretty sleepy too, but he still had to finish this letter. And there was still one person left to come in. Nobody had to know, but it was his favorite student. 

The sweet Aries who came in sucking his thumb and also holding a plushie - a stuffed sheep given to him by Shion himself. 'So you'll always remember me', he had said at the time.

"Little Mu, don't suck your thumb like that. You're no longer a baby." He scolded gently as Mu popped the digit out to speak.

"Master Shion, I'm sorry. But I'm here because I can't sleep. Shaka kept saying stuff about you so I--I had a nightmare." Mu teared up immediately, using his sheep to dry his eyes off as he sniffed.

"What kinds of nightmares? You know, they say that when you share them it makes you forget them more easily."

"Well...I kept dreaming th-that you died. And that you were no longer there with us. A-And we were all left alone. And the person who replaced you didn't care about us at all!" He started crying again, running towards Shion and climbing onto his lap.

"There, there." Shion shushed him, gently petting his hair. "It was just a bad dream. I'm right here. I'll choose a wonderful and capable person to replace me when I'm finally gone. And I'll always be with you, in spirit right? As long as you remember me I'll always be there." He comforted him, continuing to pet him. "I know I shouldn't be doing this, but do you want to sleep here for a while? You can lean your head on my chest, it's alright. I just have to finish this letter and then I can carry you back."

Mu nodded, snuggling against him before closing his eyes, his breathing soon slowing down as the sheep fell from his hands.

_ "I can only hope that Mu will continue to improve even after I'm gone. He's so good and for him I want nothing but the best. It's too bad I wasn't able to teach him for longer, but I've done what I could to make sure he can surpass me if he really works for it. I love these children so much, Dohko. Even with all the trouble they give me, I love them.  _

_ Please let me know how things are going on your side, too. I hope everything is well. _

_ Much love, _

_ Shion" _

He pressed a kiss to the sleeping Mu's head, closing his own eyes and leaning back on his chair. Aries was so far away...maybe he could just rest his eyes for a little while. Yes, this was nice. He would do that.

...

...

...

...

...Fuck! He had completely forgotten about the work he still had to do.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm Tanmoku Ki#1295 on Discord. Feel free to talk about SS with me!


End file.
